XH PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



then elected President, Dr. Goodenougli Treasurer, and Mr. Mar- 

 sham Secretilry. After two or three other preparatory meetings, 

 the first general meeting took place on the 8 th of April in the 

 same year, when the new Society was inaugurated by an interesting 

 and learned discourse on the progress of Natural History by the 

 President. This treatise forms the first paper in the Transactions 

 of the Society, which however was not published until three years 

 afterwards. In the first printed list of the Society, we find the 

 names of almost all the English naturalists of any note at that 

 period. Sir Joseph Banks was, with great propriety, elected an 

 honorary member, and continued so until his death ; and amongst 

 the Fellows we find the names of Dryander and* Goodenough, of 

 Martyn of Cambridge, and Shaw and Lambert, and the Lathams, 

 of Pulteney, and E^lhan, and many others, who had then or have 

 since distinguished themselves in the cultivation of Natural Science. 

 In the list of Associates are the Indian Buchanan, Dr. Edward 

 Whitaker Grray of the British Museum, Professor Hope of Glas- 

 gow, Markwick the annotator of White's ' Selborne,' and the elder 

 Sowerby. And amongst the Eoreign Members we have many of the 

 most illustrious names which then adorned the Natural History 

 science of Europe, — Afzelius, AUioni, Broussonet, Carolini, Des- 

 fontaines, Eontana, L'Heritier, Jussieu, the two Jacquins, Schu- 

 macher, Sparrmann, and Swartz, Targioni Tozzetti and Thunberg, 

 with many others ; — names, which show how rich was the foreign 

 list of the Society, even at that infancy of its existence. 



It is not my object to enter further into the life of our revered 

 founder, than just to illustrate the progress of the Society, which 

 owed its existence, its rise, and its prosperity, to the zeal, know- 

 ledge, accomplishments, and other estimable qualities which distin- 

 guished him. Eew men were more entirely respected and beloved ; 

 and I believe the Society owes its comparative immunity from un- 

 kindly discussion, to the temper and judgment invariably displayed 

 by him in its administration, which stamped upon it a character 

 which seems almost to have become an essential element in its 

 natiu'e, and which I earnestly hope and believe it will never lose. 



"We have now then seen our Society fairly launched on her pro- 

 mising voyage with all the advantages of a skilful commander, of 

 a willing and intelligent and hardworking crew, and under the 

 happiest auspices, both with respect to her origin and object. It 

 is not necessary that I should enter into any minute details of the 

 Society's history. It gradually increased in fame, in usefulness, 

 and in numbers. Not only were most of the working, naturalists 



